Covid control freaks

NY, Calif. failed in handling of COVID — but Florida was among best: study

By 

Emily Crane

April 11, 2022

New York, New Jersey and California failed in their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic because of stringent lockdowns and policies, while Florida was among the best-performing states in the country, a new study has found. 

The study, published by the Committee To Unleash Prosperity, graded states by comparing COVID-19 outcomes based on the number of deaths, the economy and impact on education. 

Overall, the bottom 10 on the study’s “report card” were dominated by states that had the most severe pandemic lockdowns and were among the last to finally reopen schools. 

“Shutting down their economies and schools was by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made during COVID, particularly in blue states,” Stephen Moore, one of the study’s authors and co-founder of the Committee To Unleash Prosperity, said Monday. 

Despite now-disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo initially being hailed for his strict response to the pandemic, the Empire State performed “poorly on every measure” — ranking 49th overall, according to the study.

New Jersey was the worst-performing state, the study found. Other places that also received an F grade included California, Illinois and Washington, DC.